{"API Evangelist"}

Freshbooks API Add-Ons, Billing, and Webhooks

13 Apr 2011I am slowly working my way through hundreds of APIs and doing business reviews of their approach to delivering their APIs.

At API Evangelist I'm focused on the business of APIs, with a minor focus on the technology behind those APIs. So when I publish a business review of an API, I will add it to my API database, then move on.

That is, unless I identify a story -- an innovative approach, monetization strategy, or anything that I feel needs to be talked about in more detail.

While reviewing the Freshbooks API I found three notable building blocks:

Application Billing - A built in billing and payment framework for Freshbook applications and beyond

Webhooks - Framework for enabling application callbacks, URLs where the Freshbook system can send notifications to third party applications

Self-Service Application Frameworks like the Freshbooks Add-On Store are growing more common. I've talked about similar systems from Box.net and Google Apps Marketplace. The Freshbooks Add-On store is not 100% self-service, but it is close. Webhooks are nothing new, but Freshbook offers a standardized approach to deploying web-hooks that makes them easy for developer to use.

A built in payment system is definitely a notable API building block. Providing developers with a baked-in payment system for handling application monetization is very innovative.

Where do these three building blocks fit into the big picture? I try to build profiles for common API building blocks, I don't have profiles for self-service application frameworks, webhooks, and payment systems, but as I evaluate more I will define these as more innovative building blocks for API owners to use.

I will definitely be keeping an eye on the Freshbook approach to their API.